HEADS of State and Governments of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) gathered in Guyana for the IV Regular Summit have urged the United Nations Climate Change Summit to be held in Cancun from this week to achieve effective reductions in greenhouse gases for the second period of commitments under the Kyoto Protocol (KP).
This was contained in the Declaration of Georgetown, released on Friday after the conclusion of the summit.
The declaration says the urge to the UN Climate Summit is based on the UNASUR Heads being cognisant of the importance of the new challenges that climate change poses for South America and the responsibility that must be assumed by the member states that are party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, based on their common yet differential responsibilities and their respective capabilities.
UNASUR is of the view that effective reductions would allow for firm political commitments, as well as actions and proposals.
“Noted with interest, [was] the Ecuadorian initiative pertaining to the concept of net avoided emissions as a non-commercial mechanism and agree to continue examining voluntary mitigation and financing mechanisms within the framework of the United Nations Convention on Climate Change. The concept of net avoided emissions involves avoiding CO2 emissions brought about by economic production activities which, while they can be carried out, are not undertaken consciously and voluntarily by developing countries and are subject to compensation mechanisms based on the principles of shared responsibility,” the Declaration of Georgetown says.
Further, the Heads have declared their commitment to promote the sustainable development of their natural resources, including forests, through national and regional initiatives.
They have instructed the Council of Delegates, under the Chairmanship of Guyana, to invite a representative of the Amazon Co-operation Treaty Organisation to examine possible areas of co-operation between both organisations.
The heads have also recognised and endorsed the climate change mitigation initiatives developed voluntarily in the region. “They applaud the Yasuní-ITT Initiative of the Republic of Ecuador, which seeks to prevent CO2 emissions through the non-drilling of oil in the Yasuní National Park, so as to protect biodiversity and the indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation and promote a sustainable development model,” the declaration said.
